Man Charged With Attempted Murder In East Hampton Horse Farm Attack

Police have charged a man with attempted murder in an East Hampton horse farm attack.

EAST HAMPTON — A man charged with attempting to kill a horse farm owner told investigators he was paid to do so by the owner's son-in-law, according to the warrant for his arrest.

James J. McMahon, Jr., 48, was arrested Friday and charged with criminal attempt to commit murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree assault, first-degree assault, home invasion and first-degree burglary, state police said Monday.

McMahon told state police investigators that he was to be paid $1,000 by the victim's son-in-law, Matthew Frick, to kill the victim, according to a warrant for McMahon's arrest.

Frick was charged in March with conspiracy to commit three crimes: first-degree assault, home invasion and first-degree burglary.

The victim, Lisa Rader, was attacked in September at White Birch Farm in East Hampton. She suffered life-threatening injuries in the attack.

At the time of the assault, Rader's daughter, Amy Rader Frick, said she had been involved in an ongoing dispute with her mother and had not spoken to her for more than a year. Rader Frick had opened her own farm in Portland — also called White Birch Farm — before the September attack.

Matthew Frick had told investigators that the victim was crazy and had made their lives a "living hell," according to the warrant for McMahon's arrest.

McMahon told investigators that he was working as a dishwasher at a bar in Plainville not long before Matthew Frick bought the establishment. He said while having a drink at the bar after his shift, he overheard Frick saying he wanted his mother-in-law dead.

The two men went outside for a cigarette and McMahon told Frick he needed money, so he would kill Frick's mother-in-law for $1,000, according to the warrant. McMahon told investigators he had no intention to kill the woman, but was planning to "rip off" Frick.

McMahon told investigators that Frick only gave him $600, despite agreeing on $1,000, according to the warrant. McMahon said that Frick was calling every day asking when Rader would be killed, the warrant said.

Frick provided McMahon with instructions on how to enter the residence on the farm and drew a map, McMahon told investigators.

On the night of the assault, McMahon parked on the right shoulder of the road near the farm, he told investigators. He then entered the house through the center door, as instructed, according to the warrant. McMahon told investigators he saw a TV, which was on, and a bed against the wall. He said the woman in the bed sat up.

According to the warrant, McMahon said he attacked the woman with his fists, but he only intended to hurt her. He told investigators that she began hitting him with a metal fireplace poker and after that he didn't remember what happened.

Two days after the assault occurred, Frick came to McMahon's apartment in Plainville and told McMahon he was angry that he didn't kill her, according to the warrant.

McMahon was held on $1 million bond and is scheduled to appear in cout on June 23.

In a recent phone interview, Lisa Rader said that her door was kicked open that night and that her attacker struck her in the head with a pot from the wood stove and hit her 41 times with a fireplace poker.

She said she lost consciousness. "I woke up at St. Francis [Hospital and Medical Center in Hartford]." She has a "huge scar" over her right eye, facial nerve damage and screws in her left arm and in a finger on her left hand, she said.

She praised the investigator she dealt with, Det. Robert Given of the state police.